Wrench



June 24, 192 20 1,4993% T. MURPHY WRENCH Filed May 15, 1923 Patented June 24, 1924.

1 UNITED STAT-ES PATENT orsice.

THOMAS MURPHY, F BIIDIDLETOWN, CONNECTlCUT, ASSIGNQBJ OF ONE-HALF TO BERKLEY G. STONE, MIDDLETOWN, GQITNECTIGUT.

WRENCH. v

T 0 all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MURP Y. a citizen of the United States, residing at hiliddletown, in the county of ldiddlesex and G utate oi tonnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches,

' eratively connected at their rear ends by the.

of which the following is a specification, ref erence being had therein to the accompanying drawings. 7

This invention relates to a new and improved wrench and it is oneof the objects thereof to produce a wrench that is adapted for use with objects of various sizes, the adjustment therefor being obtained quickly through manipulation of-.mechanism by the fingers of the hand holding the wrench and which will be locked against accidental movement in all of its adjusted positions.

Among other aims and objects of the, in vention may be recited the provision of. a device of the character mentioned with a view to compactness and in which the number of parts are few, the construction simple, cost of production small but efficiency and operation high.

The improvements in the details and arrangement of parts will be apparent from an inspection of the accompanying drawings in connection with the description hereinafter contained and" wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed for the purpose of imparting an understanding of the same.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved wrench showing the relative position of the hand in connection therewith while in operation;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation thereof taken generally upon line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation thereof taken generally upon line t e of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view of the underside of one end of the lower jaw; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the lock-plate.

In the drawings, wherein-like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures; 1O designates the upper jaw and 11 the lower jaw which are 0ppintle 12 and each provided upon an inner face near the outer end with teeth 13. One

Application filed my 15, 1923. Serial No. 639,076.

into the slot and held by the walls thereof against rotation.

Surroundingthe flattened portion 19 of the stud adjacent to the head thereof, is a lock-plate'20 having teeth 21 upon one. face which correspond in depth and relative location with the notches 16 with which they .intermesh.

Threaded upon the shank 27of the stud 18 is a knurled nut 22 which is cupped or recessed at its outer end 23 so that the thumb will more readily retain its contact therewith. The underside of the nut 22 is provided with a recess 24, into which projects a spring 25 which bears against a col ar 26 surrounding the shank 27 and resting against the outer face of the jaw 10.

In operation, the wrench is grasped in the hand substantially as shown in Figure 1 and the toothed portions of the jaws placed in proximity to the article to be gripped by the wrench. These toothed portions are now moved toward and away from each other by applying a limited pressure with the thumb. on the cupped end of the nut 22 and a slight endwise pressure applied thereto against the tension of the spring 25. During this movement the lock-plate 20 moves away from the lower 11 and the teeth thereon are disengaged from the teeth 16." The stud 18 is then moved lengthwise within the slots 14 and 15 and by reason thereof the jaws are moved toward and away from each other, swinging upon the pintle 12. When the proper relative positions of the toothed portions 13 ofthe jaws are obtained, pressure upon the nut 22 is re leased, the spring 25 moves the stud endwise and the head of the stud 18 presses the teeth of the lock-plate into the teeth upon the lower jaw 11, thus locking the jaws against movement.

The nut 22 is located upon the stud 18 so that in its down position its lower face will contact with the collar 26 and thus limit the movement of the stud and the lock-plate toa position wherein the teeth of the lock plate will be entirely free from those on the aw.

There are minor changes and alterations that may be made within my invention, aside from those herein suggested, and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown, but claim all that falls fairly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 7

Having described my invention, what I claim as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1-- 1. In a wrench, a pair of members pivoted together adjacent one end and having jaws on their opposite ends, one of the members having an axial slot and the other an inclined slot which traverses the axial slot, teeth on the outer face of one of the members adjacent the slot thereof, a lock plate having a central slot with opposed parallel straight sides and having teeth for engagement with the first named teeth, a stud having a head on one end engaged with the lock plate and having flattened sides which engage with the parallel sides of the slot of the lock plate," a non-rotatable collar in the slot of the first named member, the opposite end of the stud extending through the last named slot, a collar and a nut on said opposite end of the stud, and a coil spring between the last named collar and the nut, the outer face of the nut being cupped to form a thumb-receiving part. I

2. In a wrench, a pair of members pivoted together adjacentone end and having jaws on their opposite ends substantially parallel with each other, one of the members having an axial slot and the other an inclined slot which traverses the axial slot, teeth on the outer face of one of the members adjacent the slot thereof, both of said slots being between the jaw portion of each of said members and their point of pivot connection, a

lock element having teeth for engagement 

